NEPA GIS DAY 2021

Researches have shown that most streets in the core urban centers of the world are car centric (USEPA, 2019). This makes it difficult for people to use the most basic form of transport which is walking, bicycling and other human powered modes for their day to day activities like to commute to work, to stay socially connected, and for daily exercises. This has contributed to the decline in physical and psychological health leading to a rise in obesity rates, high rate of usage of fossil fuel, higher transportation costs, traffic congestion and continued environmental degradation. For most places, car-centric approaches to land-use and transportation planning has led to sprawl and disconnected communities (Zhang & Mu, 2019). To counter these effects, attention is now turning to fixing existing built environments and rethinking how to plan and design new communities. For example the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that carbon emissions must be cut by 45% by 2030 compared with pre-industrial levels (IPCC 2018). Also, during Conference of Party (COP 26) in Glasgow, countries, cities, carmakers stated their commitment to end fossil-fuel vehicles by 2040. Walkability has taken centre stage in the debate over "net zero emission". In broad terms, walkability is defined by the quality of which the built environment enables the mobility of pedestrians. Pedestrians traditionally are defined as the individuals traveling by foot, but it has recently been expanded to include those who use wheelchairs or other assistive devices/means like bicycles. walking and bicycling are known as ‘green’ type of transportation (Lo, 2009). Apart from its ability to reduce traffic, it has low level of environmental impact and has both social and recreational importance. Planning towards achieving zero emission requires design that promotes walkability.

Place-making on the other hand, involves creating comfortable meeting points and destinations in a community. But, even if there are places to visit within a short walk persons are unlikely to walk if the way to get there was unsafe or unpleasant. Certain features in the built environment inhibit walkability and the lack of such features can influence peoples perceptions and decisions to walk to and from destinations.

The main question to be answered in this study is: 

What is the existing condition of the Braeton Parkway streetscape? Can it support place making and walkability?

Objectives of this study was to:

1. Show advanced GIS tools/application available for planning and environmental management.
2. Assess the existing streetscape in the study area
3. Create a GIS-based 3D model using ESRI City Engine to communicate how the proposed streetscape of the study area should look like.

Geo design is concerned with shaping the physical environment. It helps to address the complexity of form and function of cities. Technologies used in Geo design can provide real time analytics and feedback allowing for metric and reporting output that aide in decision making. In most situations it is difficult for members of the public to understand complex drawings or city plans presented to them but using 3D to present such information is a win-win situation.

Between 2001 and 2011 St. Catherine was the fastest growing parish growing by 7 per cent at an annual rate of 0.72 per cent, doubling the national rate of 0.36 per cent(STATIN 2011). 

The Braeton Parkway (Twenty Route) represented with purple on the map is presently one of the busiest roads in Portmore due to the high commercial activities happening in the area. There has been rising commercial development along this road. This corridor host the following reputable companies/organizations:

1. IBEX (BPO)
2. Hilo supermarket
3. Total Gas Station with its first Automatic Car Wash in Jamaica.
4. Singer company
5. Scotia Bank
6. First Global Bank
7. Sovereign Village(Popeyes, Monarch Pharmacy, Dominos, Wendys, Subway and progressive supermarket)
8. Department of Inland Revenue(Tax Office)
9. Proposed Portmore PriceMart
10. Sagicor Bank
11. Island Grill
12. First Caribbean Bank
13. Superlative Auto
14. 100 Man Police Station
15. Portmore Municipal Corporation
16. Sunshine Outlet Mall
17. Sunshine Palace Cinema

This study employed participatory observation, Google street view and photography techniques to assess the existing condition of Braeton Parkway and its environs. The quality of the street furniture/facilities were examined, particularly taking note of the attributes of the sidewalks and other street facilities. Finally streetscape and ecological areas were superimposed on the existing landscape.

• Traffic congestion on the Braeton Parkway (Twenty Route) at all times of the day.

• There are no curbside in most sections of the road

•  The roads are not user friendly with poles at the middle of the pedestrian walkway

• Sunshine intensity and heat

• Taxis picking up passengers along the road thereby causing traffic congestion

• Illegal vending along this route causing traffic obstruction

• No adequate signage/rules on the road

•  No uniform setback this makes the streets not user friendly

• There are no ramps for the physically challenged

Some Portmore residents currently walk as a form of exercise Braeton Hill is one of those popular destination in Portmore.

Streetscape Is a term used to describe the natural and built fabric of the street, and defined as the design quality of the street and its visual effect, particularly how the paved area is laid out and treated. It includes buildings, the street surface, and also the fixtures and fittings that facilitate its use – from bus shelters and signage to planting schemes’’ [Rehan 2013]. 

Streetscaping can include changes to the road cross section, traffic management, sidewalk conditions, landscaping (mainly tree cover), street furniture (utility poles, benches, garbage cans, etc.), building fronts, and materials specifications. It also encompasses improving signage.